MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A renewed rivalry, a sold-out stadium, a national television audience, a prime-time matchup of teams who expect to contend for spots in the College Football Playoff.

That’s how many might describe the meeting between No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 10 Miami when they collide in a season opener Sunday night.

Notre Dame made the CFP national title game last season; Miami felt like it was snubbed by the committee that chose the 12-team field. The Irish will start untried CJ Carr at quarterback (he never has attempted a pass in a college game), while Miami is replacing No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Ward with Georgia transfer Carson Beck — part of two national championship teams with the Bulldogs and no stranger to marquee games like this.

“What a way to start college football season,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “It’s something we enjoy, we embrace. That’s what you go to Notre Dame for. That’s why you come to coach at Notre Dame, to play in games like this throughout the year, but especially Week 1.

“Night game, prime time, everybody’s watching you versus a heck of an opponent. That’s what any competitor wants.”

Miami has the same perspective.

“This is one of the games you sign up for as a Hurricane,” offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa said.

It’s the first matchup between the teams since Miami rolled to a 41-8 home win in 2017. Notre Dame went 12-1-1 in the first 14 meetings; the series has been much more competitive in the last 45 years, with the Hurricanes having a slight 7-6 edge in the most recent 13 games.

“It should be as maniacal as a Miami game should be,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said. “We expect it to be as loud and as wild as it could possibly be. And we encourage that.”

At Miami

Depending on perspective, Notre Dame hasn’t won at Miami in either eight months or 48 years. The Irish are 0-6 in their last six road games against the Hurricanes but won a CFP national semifinal Jan. 9 against Penn State at Hard Rock Stadium — the site of Sunday’s matchup.

Title ties

In Notre Dame’s three most recent national championship seasons (1973, 1977, 1988), the Irish beat the Hurricanes. In Miami’s first three national championship seasons (1983, 1987, 1989), the Hurricanes got a home win over the Irish.

Top-10 openers

This is the ninth time Notre Dame has opened a season with a matchup of teams ranked 10th or higher in the AP poll, with its most recent such matchup coming against Ohio State in 2002. Miami is part of a top-10 opener for the fifth time, its first since 2004 against Florida State.

Rare Sunday game

Miami hasn’t played on a Sunday since opening the 2018 season against LSU in Arlington, Texas. It’ll be Notre Dame’s first Sunday game since it kicked off the 2021 campaign at Florida State. And this matchup is only the sixth top-10 game in the last 50 years to be played on a Sunday; three of the other five in that span were bowl games.

Hello, again

Only in the transfer portal era would this be possible. Notre Dame has four players — wide receiver Malachi Fields (formerly of Virginia), defensive back Jalen Stroman (Virginia Tech), defensive tackle Jared Dawson (Louisville) and kicker Noah Burnette (North Carolina) — who have played against both the Irish and Hurricanes. Miami linebacker Jaylin Alderman (formerly of Louisville) also has been on the field against both teams.

No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami

Time/TV: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, ABC-7
Line: Notre Dame by 2½

Key stats

Notre Dame (2024)

Total offense: 399.1 ypg (55th in FBS)
Passing: 198.1 ypg (101st)
Rushing: 200.9 ypg (19th)
Scoring: 36.1 ppg (10th)
Total defense: 307.4 ypg (11th)
Passing: 169.4 ypg (4th)
Rushing: 138.1 ypg (49th)
Scoring: 15.5 ppg (T-4th)

Miami (2024)

Total offense: 537.2 ypg (1st)
Passing: 348.2 ypg (3rd)
Rushing: 188.9 ypg (31st)
Scoring: 43.9 ppg (1st)
Total defense: 327.2 ypg (27th)
Passing: 214.4 ypg (57th)
Rushing: 112.8 ypg (19th)
Scoring: 25.3 ppg (70th)

Last game

Notre Dame lost 34-23 to Ohio State in the CFP national championship game.
Miami lost 42-41 to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Next game

Notre Dame plays host to No. 19 Texas A&M on Sept. 13.
Miami plays host to Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 6.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/31/notre-dame-miami-football-preview/